Chapter 35: Re-Summoning
In a certain ruin located within the Lindor Kingdom.
This ruin is heavily guarded as it serves as the most crucial stronghold of Lindor.
Within the ruins, several figures could be seen.
“Oh, so this is…”
“Yes. This is the Summoning Magic Circle.”
This place is the most important facility of Lindor, where the Summoning Magic Circle is laid out.
The one expressing admiration at the complex and intricate magic circle before them is the King of Admos, while the one guiding him is the New King of Lindor.
Previously, it would have been unthinkable to allow foreigners into this ruin, but there are deep reasons for this change.
Since the incident involving Kenta, Lindor has lost the trust of various nations.
With domestic demand unable to sustain the kingdom, Lindor has rapidly declined following the change of kings.
At this rate, the nation was on the brink of collapse, and it was Admos that extended a helping hand.
Lindor was aware of Admos’s ulterior motives for offering support, especially since they had just lost a war, but in their desperate situation, they accepted the conditions for assistance.
Those conditions included permission to use the Summoning Magic Circle.
“Still, it’s a shame that it can only be activated here.”
The King of Admos genuinely felt this way.
The reason he had come all the way to this location was that the magic circle could not be activated anywhere else.
Otherwise, he would have thought about copying the magic circle and setting it up in Admos, but past attempts to do so had failed, as it would not activate even when perfectly replicated elsewhere.
“There must be something about this place. Unfortunately, this is an ancient magic circle, and no literature remains on it. It truly is a mystery.”
“Hmm.”
The King of Admos carefully observed the face of the King of Lindor, but he did not appear to be lying.
If it were a lie, then why not set up this magic circle within the Royal Castle? This question arose, suggesting that it was likely the truth.
“Then, shall we proceed with the summoning?”
At the King of Admos’s words, the King of Lindor showed hesitation.
“What’s wrong? Are you going to break our promise?”
“No, it’s not that… Are you really sure about this?”
“Sure about what?”
“Since the incident with Kenta Maya, many have expressed negative opinions about summoning. To be honest… I feel quite fearful about proceeding with another summoning.”
The New King of Lindor was a member of the duke family, a relative of the royal family from the previous king’s era.
Thus, on the day of Kenta’s execution, he was not in the royal capital but in his own territory.
When he received the news of the capital’s devastation, he rushed back, filled with disbelief…
The sight he witnessed was unforgettable.
“You saw it too, didn’t you? The royal capital and castle currently under reconstruction?”
At this, the King of Admos recalled his arrival in the royal capital of Lindor.
Upon entering the capital, the first thing that caught his eye was the many half-destroyed buildings that had been left unattended even after two years.
These were mostly found in the commoner districts.
Even in the noble districts, the majority of the buildings were still under construction, with completed structures being the minority.
As for the royal castle, the reconstruction rate was only about fifty percent, and the King of Admos had been guided to one of the few completed buildings in the noble district.
“When I arrived, it was truly a hellish scene. Most buildings around the royal castle were completely destroyed, and there were rotting corpses of unprocessed people scattered everywhere. I never want to see such a horrific sight again.”
Seeing the genuinely pale face of the King of Lindor, the King of Admos couldn’t help but chuckle.
“Ha! That was the result of your predecessor’s failure to handle the summoner properly. If they had been treated appropriately, you would have been the greatest nation in the world by now.”
With a hint of sarcasm, the King of Admos spoke, and the King of Lindor momentarily showed a regretful expression but managed to suppress it with a wry smile.
“Haha. That’s a painful truth.”
“Now, hurry up and execute the summoning.”
“…Understood. Hey!”
“Yes!”
Accepting the King of Admos’s urging, the King of Lindor called over the person responsible for the summoning.
This magic circle can be activated even with the low magic power of humans, but it is said that summoning a superior being requires a greater amount of magic power.
The one called by the King of Lindor now had a considerable amount of magic power among humans.
“…Then, I will activate it.”
“Very well.”
“…”
At the words of the summoner, the King of Admos responded for some reason.
At this point, the King of Admos’s arrogance was evident, but the King of Lindor chose not to point it out.
Soon, the magic circle began to glow, and the light gradually intensified.
And then…
“!! It’s coming!!”
Just after the summoner exclaimed this, the summoning magic circle emitted a blinding light as if it had exploded.
“「！！？？」”
Both kings instinctively closed their eyes, and when the light finally subsided, they slowly opened their eyes.
Before them sat two boys, looking bewildered.
“…Huh? Two of them?”
“W-What does this mean?”
Until now, only one person had been summoned, yet for some reason, there were two boys present.
Their appearances resembled Kenta, the previous summoner, so the summoning had undoubtedly succeeded.
Whether this was a good thing or a bad thing was indeterminate at this stage, but summoners often possessed greater power than the inhabitants of this world, whether due to the influence of the magic circle or the crossing of worlds.
The King of Admos decided to simply rejoice in having acquired two summoners for now.
“W-Where are we?”
“Ah, could it be…”
Of the two boys, one had bright brown hair, a handsome face, and a well-built physique that seemed likely to attract the opposite sex.
The other had messy hair and a lanky appearance, looking around nervously, appearing weak and unreliable.
To these boys, the King of Admos spoke.
“You must be surprised by this sudden turn of events. Allow me to apologize first.”
As the King of Admos said this, the two boys looked at him with astonished expressions.
“Y-You are?”
“I apologize for the late introduction. I am the king of a nation called Admos.”
“「Y-You’re the king!？」”
The two boys exclaimed in surprise, and the King of Admos felt a sense of pride swell within him as he continued speaking.
“Indeed. You are otherworlders summoned by this magic circle.”
“Huh? Huhhh!?”
“Y-Yes! We’ve really been summoned to another world!!”
At this point, the two boys reacted differently.
The attractive boy looked shocked, while the seemingly weak boy wore a joyful expression.
Next to the ecstatic weak boy, the attractive boy began to tremble.
“Is this like those anime or manga? If that’s the case, then this is kidnapping, right!? I’m not listening to anything those criminals have to say!!”
The trembling appeared to stem from anger, and the attractive boy shouted his rage, while the weak boy, now identified as Ota, tried to calm him down.
“W-Wait, wait. There’s no point in rebelling here, Nara-kun. We don’t know how to live in this world. It’s better to have those people guarantee our livelihood.”
Ota spoke eloquently, and Nara, the attractive boy, looked at him with a puzzled expression.
“Huh? What’s with you, Ota? You never talk this much. Why are you so hyped up now?”
Ota scratched his head and chuckled.
“Uh, well… I’ve always fantasized about being summoned to another world. So, when it actually happened, I got a bit excited…”
Hearing Ota’s words, Nara let out a sigh.
Then, he leaned closer to Ota, and they began to whisper to each other.
“You’re a real otaku, huh? So, do you know how to handle situations like this?”
Ota nodded vigorously at Nara’s question.
“F-First of all, Nara-kun, that attitude of yours isn’t good. As I said earlier, we don’t know how to live in this world. So, we should take advantage of the fact that we’ve been kidnapped to secure our livelihood.”
Nara, now understanding Ota’s words, nodded in agreement.
“Of course, we need food, clothing, and shelter, and depending on the situation…”
“…That’s a valid point.”
They both seemed to be imagining their future treatment.
Both of them had slightly flared nostrils, clearly revealing what they were envisioning.
After their discussion, the two boys decided to hear the King of Admos out and turned to him in unison.
“Have you finished your discussion?”
“Yeah. Well, I’m still angry about being kidnapped. But there’s no point in flailing around here. So? The reason you summoned us here must be important, right?”
It seemed that King Admos had finally decided to listen, a smile gracing his face.
“Of course, that’s correct. However, rather than having a long conversation here, why don’t we change locations?”
With that, King Admos led Nara and Ota out of the ruins, taking them on a carriage ride to showcase the rebuilding capital of Lindor, where they entered a grand building.
“…This town is in pretty rough shape.”
Nara, who had been observing the state of the capital closely, muttered with a serious expression.
“We’ll discuss that later. For now, let’s fill our stomachs. Being hungry only leads to irritation.”
King Admos said, serving a lavish meal to Nara and Ota.
The two, who had only ever used knives and forks in family restaurants, struggled to eat their meal.
The two kings watched them with silent smiles, though internally they were judging them as uncouth monkeys. The previous King of Lindor had learned the hard way that showing such thoughts could lead to backlash.
Regardless of their inner thoughts, King Admos showed nothing but a welcoming demeanor towards Nara and Ota.
Feeling encouraged by this, Nara and Ota began to relax, realizing they were genuinely being welcomed as the meal came to an end.
“Now that we’ve satisfied our hunger, could you tell me your names?”
Upon hearing King Admos’s words, Nara was the first to respond.
“I’m Mitsuhiko Nara.”
“And which is your family name?”
“Nara.”
“Then in this world, you are Mitsuhiko Nara.”
“Oh, I-I’m Yuto Ota… Yuto Ota.”
“Fascinating. Thank you. Now, regarding the reason I summoned you, Nara-dono and Ota-dono…”
At those words, Nara and Ota straightened up, ready to listen intently.
“First, in this world, there are two races: the Human Tribe and the Demon Tribe.”
Nara frowned slightly at King Admos’s words, while Ota’s face lit up with excitement.
“What about magical beasts!? Are there magical beasts!?”
“M-magical beasts? No, there are Demon Tribe members, but as for magical beasts…”
“I see…”
As King Admos struggled with the unfamiliar term “magical beasts,” Ota visibly deflated.
“Well, there are no magical beasts, but there are beasts that use magic… Magical Beasts.”
“Magical Beasts, yes!!”
Ota’s sudden outburst startled both kings, while Nara embarrassedly tried to hush him.
“Hey! Don’t act like a clueless otaku! You’re making it awkward for us!”
“Oh, s-sorry. I got a little too excited…”
“Haha. Now, shall I continue with the explanation?”
Seeing Nara scold Ota, King Admos resumed his narrative.
“The Human Tribe and the Demon Tribe have been at war for hundreds of years. This is due to the incompatibility of our racial traits, which leads to prolonged conflicts.”
“Racial traits?”
“Indeed. The Human Tribe excels in physical abilities but struggles with magic.”
The moment he heard this, Ota’s enthusiasm plummeted.
“Conversely, the Demon Tribe is skilled in magic but cannot match us in physical prowess.”
While Ota remained downcast, Nara pondered seriously over King Admos’s words.
“So, in other words, the Demon Tribe excels at long-range attacks, while humans are better at close combat.”
“Exactly. We can win if we get close, but with magic in play, it’s not easy to approach. However, if we maintain distance, we can evade the Demon Tribe’s spells. Our war is a tug-of-war between our desire to close the gap and the Demon Tribe’s wish to keep us at bay.”
“…That sounds like a quagmire.”
Nara accurately grasped what King Admos was trying to convey.
Despite Ota’s demeanor, King Admos saw potential in Nara and began addressing him more directly.
“However, recently that balance has been disrupted.”
At King Admos’s words, Nara looked surprised yet understanding.
“This country’s dire state… the Demon Tribe has invaded, hasn’t it…?”
King Admos nodded with satisfaction at Nara’s conclusion.
“Given my account and the state of affairs, it is only logical to arrive at that conclusion. It seems Nara-dono is quite intelligent.”
Complimented so directly, Nara blushed slightly and turned away with a huff.
Ota, ignored in the moment, wore a shocked expression.
“However, that’s not the case.”
“Huh?”
“The balance was disrupted on the Demon Tribe’s side. The Demon Tribe has entered a period of chaos following the defeat of their historically strongest king.”
“Huh? Then why were we summoned?”
Nara’s genuine confusion prompted a pained expression from King Admos.
“Actually… the one who defeated that Demon Tribe king is…”
He paused, staring intently at Nara.
Ota remained unnoticed.
“…a Summoner, just like you.”
“「！？」”
The revelation that there was another Summoner before them left both Nara and Ota utterly astonished.
Because…
“W-wait a minute! If that’s the case, then why summon us!?”
“O-oh, I see… so there was a predecessor… then knowledge cheating is out of the question.”
Nara was confused about the purpose of their summoning, while Ota lamented the loss of potential knowledge advantages.
King Admos, ignoring Ota’s nonsensical comments, addressed Nara, who had deduced the truth.
“The reason we summoned you… is to deal with that Summoner.”
“「！！？？」”
Upon hearing the reason for their summoning, both Nara and Ota stood up in unison.
“Y-you guys… you really planned to dispose of us once we were no longer useful, didn’t you!!”
“Ugh… this is the worst. The absolute worst-case scenario…”
Seeing Nara’s anger and Ota’s despair, King Admos let out a deep sigh.
“It’s understandable to think that. However, that’s not the case.”
“What do you mean it’s not the case!?”
“You saw the state of this country, didn’t you?”
“What does that have to do with…”
Initially, Nara had been quick to retort, but gradually, he seemed to grasp the meaning behind the words, his voice trailing off.
“It seems you’ve come to understand. Yes, the one who caused this devastation is that previous Summoner.”
“N-no way…”
“It seems that after defeating the Demon Tribe king, they became greedy… This is the capital of this nation, yet they half-destroyed it… The casualties are countless.”
“T-that…”
Nara began to feel an unwarranted sense of guilt.
Though his attitude was arrogant, he didn’t seem to be a bad person at heart, prompting King Admos to speak sympathetically.
“That previous Summoner has become nothing but a threat to this world. However, we cannot contend with them. The only ones who can stand against them are…”
“…Only I, as a fellow Summoner, can do it…”
Nara naturally excluded Ota, who had been lost in his own thoughts.
Unaware of Ota’s surprised gaze directed at him, King Admos and Nara continued their discussion, leaving Ota behind.
“I know I’m asking for the impossible. I’m fully aware that this method is inhumane. But we have no choice but to rely on you. Please… please save this country… save this world!!”
King Admos stood up, placing his hands on the table, and bowed his head until it touched the surface.
After watching this, Nara looked at King Admos for a moment before breaking into a smile.
“Lift your head, Your Majesty.”
“O-oh… then…”
“This mess was caused by someone from my homeland. As someone from the same place, I’ll take care of that Summoner properly.”
With a grin, Nara reassured King Admos, who expressed his gratitude with joy.
“Oh! Will you take it on? Thank you! Thank you!”
Grasping Nara’s hand across the table, King Admos repeatedly expressed his thanks.
Meanwhile, Ota sat quietly beside them.
“Ah, of course, Ota will help too, right?”
“Huh? Oh, yeah.”
“Oh, is that so? Thank you, I have high hopes for you.”
King Admos addressed Ota, but his tone was clearly different from how he spoke to Nara.
“…What the hell?”
The softly muttered words went unheard by both King Admos and Nara.
Only Lindor, who had been observing the scene from a distance, caught those words.
Thus, in high spirits, King Admos returned to Admos with the two Summoners, but as he watched the departing procession, King Lindor quietly murmured to himself.
“Well then, I hope this doesn’t ignite any more trouble.”
King Lindor’s whisper was so faint that no one heard it.